The Warriors will likely be without their starting backcourt on Saturday against the Suns in the second game of a back-to-back, Kevin Topley of NBCBayAreaSports.com writes.
Brandin Pod Ziemia tweaked a back injury during the team’s loss to Memphis on Friday. Podziemski, who missed the team’s opener against the Lakers, played 33 minutes and scored 18 points. Stephen Curry said after the game he would “probably not” play on Saturday after scoring 24 points in 30 minutes on Friday.
De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II will likely pick up the bulk of their minutes if both sit out.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- They gave up 17 unanswered points in the final four minutes of their 111-108 loss to the Grizzlies. “Eight different things had to happen,” head coach Steve Kerr said, per ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “If any one of those eight doesn’t happen, I think we win. It was just an avalanche.” Kerr picked up a technical during that run, believing that Memphis players were flopping on numerous screens. “We probably had six illegal screens tonight,” Kerr said. “The flopping that was happening on every single one, it looked like guys were going down like they had been hit by a car.”
- In an interview with Mark Medina of Fadeawayworld.net, Al Horford admitted that the indefinite loss of Kristaps Porzingis due to his health issues will be difficult. “It is a big challenge for us,” he said. “The way that I’m approaching it is that I have to do a little more. But Dray (Draymond Green) has to step up, I have to step up. Some of our younger guys are going to have more opportunities. Graham (Ike) and (Charles) Bassey are going to have to step in and play. At this point, that’s all we can do. I’ve been in a position on teams before where we all have to pick up the slack for others. This isn’t any different now.”
- If you’re thinking Yaxel Lendeborg will tone down his trash-talking, think again. The rookie, who got into verbal altercations with Luka Doncic during the team’s opener, will continue running his mouth, Dalton Johnson of NBCSportsBayArea.com relays. “Like, c’mon now. He’s gonna say what he wants to say, I’m gonna say what I want to say,” the first-round pick said. “I’m not afraid to talk to nobody, man. He’s not Michael Jordan. C’mon now. It’s fun trash-talk. I feel like I did kind of take it overboard in the media, but it is what it is.”